Living close to railways: Cross-sectional analysis of ground-borne vibrations and vibration annoyance

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

2024

Subject Area

place - europe, mode - rail, land use - impacts, planning - surveys, policy - sustainable

Keywords

Rail traffic vibration, Vibration annoyance, Freight trains, Types of trains, Railway noise

Abstract

Rail traffic is increasing following policy recommendations for a sustainable transportation model. However, the health effects of rail traffic vibration on residents living close to railways remain underexplored. We aimed to investigate the relationships between rail traffic vibration and vibration annoyance from different types of trains and to explore the influence of railway noise on these relationships. The study population (N = 7280) was randomly selected from adults living within 1 km of a trafficked railway in Sweden. Survey data were combined with modelled rail traffic vibration and noise. A cross-sectional design and logistic regression analysis were used. Results support a dose–response relationship between vibration and annoyance (stronger for freight trains and weaker for passenger trains). In the adjusted analysis, we observe a robust association between vibration and annoyance from all types of trains, accounting for socioeconomic factors. Furthermore, railway noise appears to modulate the vibration annoyance response.

Rights

Permission to publish the abstract has been given by Elsevier, copyright remains with them.

Comments

Transportation Research Part D Home Page:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/13619209

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